BANGLADESH: Requests Dutch support for garment village

The Government of Bangladesh is seeking support from the Netherlands for a proposed garment village in the Munshiganj district of Dhaka.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, asked Gerben de Jong, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh, to "encourage" Dutch investment in Bangladesh in various industries, including textiles and leather, during a meeting earlier this week.

Alam also thanked the Netherlands government for its EUR2.5m (US$3.4m) contribution over the next four years to the Better Work Programme, aimed at improving working conditions in Bangladesh's ready-made garment industry.

According to the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting ended with the hope that the two countries will continue to work together to secure mutual interests.